VP race takes center stage.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Belinda Olivares-Cunanan

SAN FRANCISCO-A Blessed New Year to all. May the new year bring us better times and even though we face an election year, our fondest hope is that it will be peaceful and non-violent.

We're on the last leg of our brief vacation, catching our plane to Manila from this beautiful city by the Bay. Our stay in the Pacific Northwest and reunion with members of my husband's family here has been quite tiring, but also fun and wonderful. We had a good send-off from the weatherman last Tuesday morning, as we woke up in Portland with snow falling all over the place. In the mountainous eastern part of Oregon a blizzard was in full fury, but I understand that snow comes to the city only once every four years.

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The vice-presidential race has taken center stage with Sen. Noli de Castro agreeing to become President Macapagal-Arroyo's running mate, something that didn't surprise anyone. Kabayan has been the strongest contender for vice president and he could repeat the phenomenon scored by GMA in 1998, when she outstripped winning presidential candidate Joseph Estrada by a mile. The 2001 senatorial topnotcher was recruited for his crowd-drawing ability, and if Loren Legarda runs as Fernando Poe Jr.'s vice president, as she wants to do, that will be a good fight. But Noli has the edge.

What came as a surprise was Raul Roco's choice of former Tarlac representative and governor Hermie Aquino as his running mate. Hermie, the uncle-in-law of the late Ninoy Aquino, is a good friend, but he is not a political anybody especially now, so that his recruitment inevitably leaves people wondering whether Roco's campaign is serious at all. There are a number of VP material who would want to run with Raul, as after all he remains among the top candidates; but the problem is he doesn't have the logistics to support his campaign; thus his running mate would have to virtually fend for himself.